


Careening into Places Where I Should Not Let Me Go

by mcgarrygirl78



Series: When We're Together [16]
Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: Drama, F/M, Humor, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-05
Updated: 2014-10-05
Packaged: 2018-02-20 01:29:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2410043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>She’d had a lot of space to think these past few days.  All that reinforced was how much Erin wanted to be with Dave.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Careening into Places Where I Should Not Let Me Go

**Author's Note:**

> 8/3/2011 The title of this story is a lyric from the James Taylor song, _Something in the Way She Moves_. I like that song for this pairing.

Dave came out on his back deck and found her and Mudgie. It was a chilly, rainy March night; she was wrapped in a blanket smoking a cigarette. For a while he just watched her. Something was on her mind and he knew it. She was a great actress when it was called for but he knew her well enough to see the distraction in her eyes.

Tonight was the first night they spent together in nearly a week. They'd stopped playing games a while ago but Erin said she had a lot of work to do. Dave was actually in town and wasn’t thrilled about bunking with just his Retriever. Mudgie seemed to miss Erin too. His woman and his dog were just getting to know each other better.

Rubbing his arms, Dave came out on the deck. He sat in the chair beside her as Erin glanced over at him. She lit another Marlboro Mild. It was going to be that kind of night.

“You're going to freeze out here.” She said.

“I won't if you share that blanket. You have no idea how warm your body heat makes me.”

“You're extraordinary, do you know that? You just open your mouth and the words come out smooth as silk.”

“It’s a gift.” Dave replied.

“Mmm,” Erin took a deep inhale, and then exhaled slowly.

“Something’s wrong.” He took a more serious tone. “I'm not gonna push; I know you hate that. Still, you should know that I noticed. I'm concerned and will do whatever I can to help.”

“In a few days we won't be having an affair anymore.” Erin said.

“We were having an affair?”

“Eli’s lawyers brought the final papers to my lawyer. All I have to do is sign them.”

“When did that happen?” Dave asked.

“They were delivered via courier on Monday morning.”

“So that’s why you've been distant all week.”

“I just needed some space to think.”

“What were you thinking about?”

“That’s a really interesting question.” Erin said. “Everything and nothing has run through my mind over these past few days.”

“Well if you wanna talk to me Erin, I'm always going to listen. I don't know if you heard but I'm an expert where divorce is concerned. I won't brag but…it’s true.”

A pretty smile broke through her solemn features. Erin still wore the smile as she took one last puff of her cigarette. She put it out in the ashtray in front of her.

“How did you feel, David? I guess I mean the first time. What was it like to see that everything had been reduced to a few pieces of paper and ‘sign here’ tabs?”

“Honestly I didn’t have much when I divorced the first time. Joanie and I loved each other but it wasn’t going to work. We were both too devoted to our callings to have much left for each other. I felt like a failure to be truthful. It was one of those uncontested, sign on the dotted line deals. It still took me three days to do it. I knew it was for the best but I didn’t want to fail.”

“When you get past 20 years, people think you're in Paul Newman and Joanne Woodward territory. I would love to ask them how the hell they still find each other captivating after all this time. I didn’t want to fail so I understand what you mean. When even that fear wasn’t enough anymore, I knew I had to leave. I feel selfish sometimes; I never wanted to hurt anyone.”

“Who did you hurt?” Dave asked.

“Eli, I know that for sure.”

“He seemed to have landed on his feet with Christa.”

“I know but still…he was devastated. I hurt my children and I doubt Mary Kate will ever forgive me.”

“I don’t want to negate the seriousness of all you’ve been through and your kids too, but there's a bitter pill in every family. MK is your bitter pill. Nora took it like the sophisticated grownup she’s become and Ted is adapting well. All your children want is your happiness.”

“I just caught people off guard.” Erin said. “I never meant to hurt them.”

“I know that.” Dave reached for her hand. “Tell me how you feel. You’ve talked abut your kids and your ex…what about you.”

“Right now I'm chilly and sleepy.”

“C'mon inside, baby.” He stood up and held out his arms for her. “You need to warm up and so do I before my toes fall off.”

Erin smiled again, though there was a sadness to it. She put her hands in his and he pulled her up. Neither one of them spoke as Dave held her close. All she could hear was the sound of the rain and his breathing. It was a comfort; it was always a comfort.

She’d had a lot of space to think these past few days. All that reinforced was how much Erin wanted to be with Dave. She couldn’t believe it. Most people didn’t end up in the same place twice in their lives. If they did it was usually a very bad sign.

But Erin searched out the red flags. She wasn’t finding them. She knew she was a different woman almost a quarter of a century later. Dave was probably a changed man too.

Whether he was or wasn’t, she seemed to be trapped. She was falling fast and couldn’t catch herself. If her heart was broken again she had no one but herself to blame. Erin didn’t plan to blame him like the last time.

Inside, Dave closed the door and locked up. They went into the bedroom with Mudgie and their arms around each other. He undressed her in the dark, undressed himself, and they got into bed together. They hadn't made love tonight, not that it was a big deal.

It was clear Erin needed something more so Dave made her a late dinner. Then they watched a mediocre Woody Allen movie that she enjoyed. He offered to run her a hot bath but she took a shower instead before getting into bed. Maybe she hadn't slept at all but he knew they turned out the lights about three hours ago.

“We should go away this weekend.” Dave whispered, holding her in his arms. “I say we hooky work on Friday and get the hell out of town.”

“Where?” Erin asked, smiling some as thoughts of ditching school, which she never did, ran through her head. That’s how Dave made her feel sometimes; like a wanton teenage girl. She loved it.

“South Carolina. We’ll go to Columbia, stay in a bed and breakfast, and just be free. We’ll walk around like tourists because no one knows us. We’ll sip overpriced coffee, wine, and make love on expensive Egyptian cotton sheets. I’ll unleash you in one of those boutiques that sell the shoes you like.

“We’ll find a horse farm and you can go riding. I might even go riding. We can see a play or hear the symphony. I don’t care if we put our feet up and watch TV all weekend. We need to get away.”

“Change that to a hotel suite and you’ve got yourself a deal, David Rossi.”

“If you want a hotel suite, it’s yours. You really want to go?”

“Ted is going to be with his father this weekend anyway.” Erin replied. “And I won't even lie and say I remember the last time I just took off from work.”

“It was the last time I corrupted you, I'm sure.”

“You're a bad influence on me.”

“You're welcome.”

Erin laughed. She laughed and she kissed him. Dave sighed happily, stroking her face.

“I…”

“What?” Erin asked.

“I love hearing you laugh.” he said. “I love making you laugh and making you happy. Right now things are tough and I respect that but I still wanna do that. I still wanna make you happy, Erin.”

“I'm happy. You can be happy for what is and sad for what’s no longer at the same time.”

“That’s true.” he kissed her nose. “You should know that you make me happy. I never thought I’d say that again but it’s true. I’ll be by your side for the happy times and the sad ones.”

“You're biting off a lot, David.” She said.

“I have a big mouth.”

“You said it I didn’t.”

“I’ll get you back for that…later. Right now,” he kissed her once more and enveloped her in his arms. “Right now you hold onto me and sleep. Tomorrow we’ll go to work, save the world a few times, come home, pack a bag, and get the hell out of here. Just you and me, kid.”

“That sounds wonderful.”

“You holding on?” Dave asked.

“For dear life.” Erin replied.

***

  



End file.
